AfterLife
by Zoranthi
Summary: After his death Van Hohenheim expected to be sent to hell where he would reside in eternal torment for his sins, however he never expected to have a meeting with Truth and possibly be forgiven for his mistakes. HohenheimxTrisha


**Afterlife**

**7-28-13**

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AN:: So I really wanted to write something and while I am working on the beginnings of my new story also a FMA fanfic I decided to spit this out. This was just a random idea I had for really no reason, I don't think it's particularly good but I need to get in the swing of things. So enjoy :)

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Hohenheim felt nothing. No pain, no joy, nothing, it was like everything he'd ever felt had shut off. His sight had disappeared; he no longer stared at the letters carved within the tombstone of his beloved Trisha. But, there was no darkness either; he was surrounded by pure light. His eyes squinted, he could barely see due to the sudden bright light. He stood on the solid white floor and around him was a solid white expanse of nothing. He was alone in the light.

And then he wasn't.

In a blink, a white figure surrounded by black specks appeared. A grin reached across his white face. The figure looked just like him. Eyes narrowing he knew that this figure was Truth. Truth stood straight up and it stared at Hohenheim, like he was trying to figure out some complex problem.

"I've waited a long time for you." He spoke in a mocking tone, as if the wait wasn't a problem and Hohenheim knew exactly what he'd meant, at four hundred and fifty years old he suspected Truth was the deliberator once one died.

"Exactly, but I don't understand, why do you choose death, you could have lived forever." Truth could read every thought in Hohenheim's mind, it was silly to ask a question he already knew, but knowing the answer doesn't mean he understood. Hohenheim laughed humorlessly and shook his head.

"You would never understand because you are not human. Humans are fragile, we create bonds to satisfy our own loneliness, without the ones we treasure we have no reason to live." He spoke with confidence, like he was teaching a child how to do basic mathematics. The grin on Truth's face faltered for a second and then grew again. He clapped once holding his hand together.

"I see! You mean_ her_." An image shimmered between them, an image on Trisha, she had that caring smile he'd always remember, he eyes were shut and she wore a simple dress and slippers. Hohenheim's heart lurched at her image. It was a perfect replica of Trisha; he kept the picture of his family. But seeing her at her full height brought tears to his eyes. He had no meaning without her.

"You humans never cease to amaze me, the things you do for one another." His white eyes flickered upwards at something behind Hohenheim. Hohenheim turned around and in front of him was a giant door, _the gate._ It was made of thick grey stone and on it was the human transmutation circle to make a philosopher's stone.

_How fitting. _The thought skittered across Hohenheim's mind but with that thought came a laugh from Truth.

"I thought so." He spoke again in that mocking tone.

"Why am I here?"

Another burst of laughter came from Truth; he really did find Hohenheim amusing. In all his existence he'd never discovered a more contradicting, amusing human. A human who gave up immortality, for a girl, no less. It was all so funny.

"You are here because _We _must make a choice."

Hohenheim's brow furrowed in confusion, who was we? What choice had to be made?

"Where to send you of course! To eternal paradise or eternal damnation." Truth had said it like it was all some sort of big joke. Hohenheim took into account that he'd deserve to be damned eternally for all that he had done, using the souls within the philosopher's stone, leaving his wife and children, almost allowing the country of Amestris to be using in the creation of a new philosophers stone, helping the dwarf in the glass.

"But even still…you saved Amestris, you've attempted to atone for the sins you have committed…"

After mulling it over Truth had reached a decision, he knew that Hohenheim was truly regretful of the mistakes he'd made.

The door behind Hohenheim began to slide open, but inside instead of the usual black abyss and giant eye in the middle there was nothing but more shining white light. No hands came from the gate trying to drag Hohenheim in.

"W-what is this?" He asked surprised, he'd known the gate to be the entrance to the entire universe's knowledge; this was so different than that.

"The gate to paradise, if you wish you can go to the afterlife and stay in bliss."

"You'll forgive me so easily…after everything…" Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, he wouldn't have to live in torment any longer. He turned to the gate, and he saw movement in the brilliant light, he squinted his eyes even further to try and see what the movement was and when he did his breath hitched.

No…It couldn't be…

But it was. Out of the bright light at the entrance of the gate, Hohenheim saw the one person he'd spent the past decade wishing he could see again.

"Trisha… is it really you?"

She smiled and tilted her head to the right while holding a hand out for him to hold.

"I've miss you for so long." She said softly, her voice completely relaxed him and he reached out to grab her hand and then he embraced her, after so long this is what he'd been waiting for. When they pushed away from each other, Hohenheim looked back at the grinning Truth before he disappeared as if he was never there to begin with. Arm in arm Trisha and Hohenheim walked deeper into the gate, behind them it began to slowly close.

For the first time Hohenheim had no regrets.

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Wasn't that such a nice ending, I thought little Hohenheim deserved it after everything he got :)


End file.
